Portsmouth News 24/7Writer: pompeyrug 
Date:Saturday November 3 2007
Time: 12:05PM
UK time is: 10:24:45
Vital Login
Social Login
Choose your club
Other Sites
Network Navigation
Vital Partners
'If It's Football, It's Vital'
You tell 'em Sol!
Sol Campbell has told the mirror what we have all been thinking, even saying, for donkies years - those that play for the 'big' clubs are more likely to play for England than those that are not, even if they deserve to and this has to change: 'some people think someone is playing well because they are in a big team or that players should be picked for their country just because they are at a high-profile club.
'That's rubbish. A lot of players can hide in big teams. If you're playing for a major club it doesn't mean you're playing well. That's what people have to realise.
'There are people in top teams around the world who aren't playing good football.
'You've got to look at the player not the club. You can have 10 bad games a season in a big team and get away with it'.
Tell 'em Campbell, we all know this is true, it is just good to hear a top professional come out and say this.
Chances are this will not make a blind bit of notice, but it would be good if Spineless Steve, or whoever takes over from him - assuming he does go - adopts a policy of selecting players on form and not past reputations or who they play for.
Maybe some players basically have to be a part of the squad even if their current form is not as good as it could be, but hunger can also play a major part in things, so - not that I am saying the 'regulars' do not have the desire to play for England - if those on the outside looking in, or at 'smaller' clubs were given the chance, or another chance that they deserve things could be so much better.
Picking players due to the club they play for is just ridiculous, we could all name several players that are being picked because of this, or because they recently did - mentioning no names such as Wes Brown, Alan Smith and my personally favourite from 'previous club fame' Stewart Downing of course...
PLAY UP POMPEY!
To join the Vital Pompey debate - in the forum or with comments on articles - simply take a few seconds to register an account.
Use your social login to comment on front page articles. Login using you Facebook, Twitter, Google or LinkedIn accounts and have your say!
Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.
Join the Vital Fantasy Football League - its Free!
Your Comments
Good shout Solid and I'm sure you won't get many who disagree here .... For a long time players from the big 4 or 5 have taken places of other players from 'lowly' teams just because of who they are or who they play for - It shows very poor management .. the thinking being 'well if Fergie or Arsene or Jose play them they must be good' It's total rubbish.. on the flip side however Nugent did play (and score) for England while at Preston .... So it's not always the case ... but more often that not.... Matty Taylor for England anybody ?
Chix
Come to think of it ....Matty Taylor for Pompey anybody...
Chix
Sol's bang on the money!!! totally agree with every word...u need to be playing for a top team, or playing for the ex-team of the England manager...just ask Downing & woodgate!!! :)
CharlieChimes
Chix not sure about Matty but Definitely Glen Johnson and Shaun Davis.
eastneydave
Hey lads, veering off subject, how's jonno doing now you've signed him permanently?
merlin
Doing fine merlin, doing fine.
storagematt
sol is spot on isnt he, hopefully his words will be listened too... johnson and davis really have a chance of getting in the england squad dont they, as they have been fantastic - if we keep up with the big boys we will be okay wont we :-) i was furious that matty taylor didnt start yesterday, but again 'arry was right wasnt he - as much as i want to keep him i really do feel the writing is on the wall now...
pompeyrug
yep, johnson is doing very well - alot of us doubted his signing, but he has been fantastic since returning and is on the verge of returning to the england fould...
pompeyrug
he had a soid game yesterday, one issue is that every time the ball is going out for a throw in, he always trys to kick the ball off the attacker and sometimes it goes back into play and to the oppostion aswell.
PompeyGleamer
The whole back 4 yesterday plus Hermann is doing us proud, i cant get over how good Distin is, he really is a class act and dominated the game yesterday.
France must be blessed with outstanding defenders if he cant get in the squad.
Sol puts in top performances every week and seems to inspire everybody around him.
Owenspompey
Sol Campbell is exactly right. You don't seem to stand much chance unless you are at the big four. Its about time players were picked on ability.
dazza71
Spot on Sol.
will it ever happen
it takes a brave man to step up and say this sort of thing, particularly considering he has only just got back in - but it needed saying didnt it... Owenspompey, distin has been fantastic hasnt he, i was alittle disappointed tbh when he signed in a way as i think optimus is so good it was unfair on him, but he has been a different class, world class even. how the hell he isnt in the french squad at least i dont know - they obviously dont know of pompey in france yet :-)
pompeyrug
well they are french!! : )
PompeyGleamer
i got a very nice email from vitalfantasyfootball, partley telling me how rubish a manager i had been last month, having sold my best players, and replaced with rubish ones, but also telling me that in october: David james (and petr czech) were the best goalkeepers. Glen johnson was the best deffender, followed by herman hreiderson...and thats where the pompey stuff ended. but those are pretty impressive stats!
pompeycarpet
and back on topic: middlesbrough are a big tema arnt they? isnt that why yak went to play there, and why woodgate did, and why steve Maclaren kees picking there playors? i reckon I would make a better manager - despite vitalfantasy football telling me how bad at managing i am!
pompeycarpet
pompeycarpet, i totally agree, I think anyone could be a better than Steve Mclaren. it just shows that the FA stands for French Association. As, our past manger Alan Perrin, who i didnt like, and who was perhaps as bad as spineless steve, is now working for the biggest club in france, how he managed it, god knows.
PompeyGleamer
Fair play to Sol, I totally agree. Some jokers seem to get picked just because of who they are, not for how well they play (think Lampard at the World Cup)......
Tantona
well if players are picked for being at clubs at the top of the league then when the next squad is announced we should have at least 4 players shouldnt we :-)
pompeyrug
Good shout Rug - How about an english back four of Johnno, Solid, Optimus (pushing it a little) and Matty ... with jamo in goal of course ... now wouldn't that be something to see .... I'm back off to dream world now ...
Chix
Have Your Say
Log in...
with your social network OR with your Vital account
Recent Articles
On this day in history...20th June (Thursday June 20 2013)
The Tour starts in forty five days! (Wednesday June 19 2013)
On this day in history...19th June (Wednesday June 19 2013)
Pompey start and finish at home (Wednesday June 19 2013)
Game on?! (Tuesday June 18 2013)
On this day in history...18th June (Tuesday June 18 2013)
Pompey face our biggest neighbours in Capital one (Monday June 17 2013)
A preference anyone? (Sunday June 16 2013)
On this day in history...16th June (Sunday June 16 2013)
If it aint broke... (Saturday June 15 2013)
Archived Articles
Vital Members League (view all)
| 1. | eastneydave | 34 |
| 2. | Pompeytim | 30 |
| 3. | mslorna48 | 24 |
| 4. | pompeyrug | 20 |
| 5. | Jimsmithswig | 19 |
| 6. | storagematt | 11 |
| 7. | Lemmi | 7 |
| 8. | Gandor1 | 5 |
| 9. | PFCblue | 5 |
| 10. | dedmans | 4 |
League Results (view all)
| Latest Results |
League Table (view table)
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 14. Northampton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15. Oxford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16. Plymouth | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17. Portsmouth | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18. Rochdale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19. Scunthorpe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20. Southend | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Breaking League News
| Strikers Globe Arrival Confirmed
» Morecambe : 20/06/2013 09:45:00
|
| Frampton Poised To Sign?
» Wimbledon : 20/06/2013 09:27:00
|
| On this day in history...20th June
» Portsmouth : 20/06/2013 08:28:00
|
| Torquay Open Against Wimbledon
» Torquay : 20/06/2013 01:53:00
|
| Duffy Bid Rejected
» Scunthorpe : 20/06/2013 01:22:00
|
| Iron Begin Campaign At Mansfield
» Scunthorpe : 20/06/2013 01:17:00
|
| Dale Fixtures For 2013-14
» Rochdale : 20/06/2013 00:51:00
|
Current Site Poll (view all polls)
|
|
1 © - All content copyright Vital Network Ltd, not to be reproduced without explicit permission Copyright Issues
Cookie Policy
At Vital Football, we along with most other modern websites use small files called 'cookies' to create the most secure, effective and functional website possible for our users. Without these files our business model, based on advertising, breaks down and we would be unable to continue to provide the services that you are here to utilise. By continuing to use this website after seeing this message, you consent to our use of cookies on this device unless you have disabled them. For full details please read our Cookie Policy which can be found here. However, if you would like to disable cookies on this device, please view our Cookie Policy which contains an opt-out tool for disabling advertising cookies. Please also visit our information pages on 'How to manage cookies' if you would also like to block all other types of cookies. Please be aware that parts of this site will not function correctly if you disable cookies.